Home Free
by RockSunner
Summary: Harry's headed back to the Dursley's for the summer after his fifth year, but now Voldemort is on the rampage and nothing will be the same... Has HGDD.
1. Highway Robbers

Chapter One -- Highway Robbers  
  
Harry was in the back seat next to Dudley when it happened. The Dursleys were driving him back to to Little Whinging from the station. Everyone was silent, except for a few mutterings from Uncle Vernon like, "How dare that goggle-eyed git treat me that way?" They were on a narrow, isolated, suburban road. All at once, there was a cracking noise and a tree fell across their path. Uncle Vernon slammed on the brakes, cursing. Just as he started to back up, another tree came down right behind them.  
  
"What is going on here?" gasped Aunt Petunia.  
  
Two masked figures ran up to the car.  
  
"Highway robbers in broad daylight!" said Vernon. "H-here, take my wallet and leave us alone."  
  
Harry, with a sinking feeling in his gut, recognized them as Death Eaters. They were Bellatrix Lestrange and man he didn't know.  
  
"We don't want your money, Muggle," said Bellatrix softly, "We want Potter."  
  
"Get out of the car, Potter," said the man.  
  
Harry realized they should have thought of this. Now that Voldemort's cover was blown and he had lost the prophecy, there was nothing to prevent him from attacking Harry openly. He hoped an agent of the Order of the Phoenix was watching, but probably they were waiting back near the house rather than trying to follow the car.  
  
"You heard the man, Potter, get out!" demanded Uncle Vernon, leaning over the seat and giving him a shove towards the door.  
  
"You can't put him out, Vernon," protested Petunia.  
  
"The neighbors don't know he's back from school yet. We can come up with a story," said Vernon.  
  
"Yes, give him to us and we'll let you live," said Bellatrix.  
  
Harry doubted that she would leave witnesses alive. If only he hadn't put his wand in the suitcase... All he could do was struggle with them and hope the Dursleys could get away. He couldn't face more deaths on his conscience.  
  
"Go, Potter," shouted Uncle Vernon. "This car is my property, and you're trespassing."  
  
"Your property, so it's like your home..." said Harry, seeing a ray of hope.  
  
"Yes, yes, my car is an extension of my house. So get out!"  
  
I'm home, thought Harry, and suddenly Uncle Vernon's hand slipped off him with an electric tingle as it had in the house when he'd tried to throttle Harry.  
  
"Come out, boy, or we'll kill your little Muggle family," crooned Bellatrix.  
  
"Kill one now to show we mean business," said the male Death Eater.  
  
"Too quick. I want to enjoy this," she said. She pointed her wand at Dudley, who had turned white and curled into a ball.  
  
Harry wasn't sure if only he was protected, or if all the family was. There was nothing he could do but try it...  
  
"Crucio!" shouted Bellatrix. The magical energy bounced back from the car and hit both the Death Eaters with double intensity. They fell to the ground screaming in pain.  
  
"T-the Master didn't think they would be protected by the blood charm away from the house," cried the man.  
  
"Get us out of here!" shouted Harry to Uncle Vernon.  
  
Vernon scraped the car around the leafy end of the tree in front, then gunned the engine as fast as he could.  
  
"We'll be safe in the house," said Harry. "There's a spell that protects us as long as I'm in the home of a blood relative."  
  
"What happens the next time you leave the house?" asked Aunt Petunia. "What if they try to kill us then?"  
  
"I don't know..." said Harry. 


	2. Constant Vigilance

Chapter 2: Constant Vigilance  
  
Since they attacked him on the road, then there might be another trap waiting when they got to the house, Harry thought. He'd better try to alert the Order, fast.  
  
He pulled from his pocket the coin that Hermione had enchanted for calling DA meetings. He concentrated on the serial number space on the edge. There was only room for a short message: "SOS OOTP 4PD." He hoped Hermione or Ron would feel it heat up, read the message, and alert the Order to trouble at Number Four, Privet Drive.  
  
It seemed to have worked, since Harry saw wizards apparating onto the sidewalks on both sides of Privel Drive, including Moody, Tonks, and Lupin. Uncle Vernon swerved the car when he saw them.  
  
"Don't worry, they're on our side," Harry told him.  
  
"With friends like these..." Vernon muttered.  
  
"Into the house, quickly!" ordered Moody. Wizards formed a protective barrier all around them.  
  
It was good they did, because suddenly a horde of Death Eaters on broomsticks apparated in. They instantly dive-bombed, casting attack spells. The barrier held, but the deflected magic set fire to the dry lawn and the hydrangea bushes.  
  
"We're ruined!" said Aunt Petunia, "What will the neighbors think? We'll never live this down."  
  
"Take care of staying alive first by getting inside the house," said Lupin.  
  
Harry and the others managed to coax and push the Dursleys inside. The Death Eaters retreated once the family was inside with Harry.  
  
Moody, Tonks, and Lupin met with Harry in the living room, while the furious and frightened Dursleys stayed upstairs.  
  
Moody was angry with himself. "WHY didn't we send a guard along with you? We should have known Voldemort might strike quickly. CONSTANT VIGILANCE! That's my watchword. At least it was, until I learned the hard way that having watchwords make a man easier to impersonate."  
  
"Yeah, why didn't you guard us on the way back?" said Harry angrily.  
  
"Calm down," said Tonks. "You got home, didn't you? If you want, we could move you back to London."  
  
"No," said Harry. "Voldemort would kill the Dursleys now if he got the chance. They aren't safe unless I'm with them."  
  
"I'm afraid you're right," said Lupin. "You protect them, and they protect you. You'll have to stay here for now."  
  
Harry had an awful thought. "What about next term at Hogwarts?"  
  
"If you're serious about saving the Dursleys, you may have to stay here until Voldemort's defeated," said Moody.  
  
Or for the rest of my life, thought Harry gloomily. 


	3. Respect

Chapter 3 -- Respect  
  
The Order of the Phoenix members prepared to leave.  
  
"We can at least set up a new safe-house for the Dursleys," said Tonks. "A place with a Secret Keeper so Voldemort can't find them. Then you'll be free to come and go as you please."  
  
"They won't be," Harry said grimly.  
  
"Can't have everything," said Moody. "As it is now, none of you is free and this neighborhood's a war zone. We've called in the obliviators to erase this afternoon's fight. But we can't keep doing that forever."  
  
"Don't worry, Harry," said Lupin. "We'll set up the safe house as quickly as we can and come back for you."  
  
Harry went upstairs to his room feeling more miserable than ever in his life.  
  
Why did there he have to be the center of a prophecy? It wasn't fair. He was fated to kill Voldemort or be killed by him, before he was even born. Even if prophecy wasn't certain, Voldemort was treating him like it was, so it worked out exactly the same.  
  
Not only that, but all his friends were in danger. One had already died, and probably more would, all because of him. He wished he could just give up. But that would be handing the world to Voldemort.  
  
He was surprised to catch Dudley coming out of his room, trying to hide something behind his back.  
  
"What have you got there, Dudley?" Harry asked.  
  
Dudley flinched, and dropped a book to the floor. Harry picked it up.  
  
"A History of Wizardry," he said coldly. "Not light reading, especially for you. You're not supposed to be interested in this sort of stuff."  
  
"If it's trying to kill me, I'm interested," retorted Dudley. He seemed to have lost weight, and he had a nervous tic in the corner of his mouth.  
  
"We're finding a safer place. You'll be all right. What happened to the tough guy, Big D the gang leader?" asked Harry.  
  
"I dropped out of the gang. I can't even go out at night without getting the shakes. What you did to my mind, that was pretty creepy stuff. I wish I could scare someone like that. I wish I was like you," said Dudley.  
  
"No, you don't", said Harry.  
  
"All that power... It's like a gang war isn't it? Two sides fighting for control." said Dudley.  
  
"It's not like that," said Harry. It was a little, though...  
  
"Tell me what it's like, and I'll give you all my allowance," said Dudley eagerly. "Hey, I know some girls that hung around with the gang. I bet I could set you up with a girlfriend for the summer."  
  
"Forget it!" said Harry. The last thing he needed was another hostage for Voldemort to threaten.  
  
"Maybe you've even killed someone, or seen them die," said Dudley. "You're like me, but you've got real power..."  
  
"GET OUT!" shouted Harry.  
  
"T-think about it, OK?" said Dudley, cringing and rushing to his room.  
  
"I've got Dudley's respect," thought Harry, "And it's worse than his hate." 


	4. Bully

Chapter 4 -- Bully  
  
Harry walked down to the kitchen where Aunt Petunia was working.  
  
"Aunt Petunia, Dudley seems to be going around the bend. Maybe I could call up someone to help him forget what happened..." Harry suggested.  
  
Aunt Petunia glared at him.  
  
"He doesn't want any help from your wizard brainwashers to make him forget what you did in that alley."  
  
"For the last time, it wasn't me, it was dementors!" said Harry.  
  
"I suppose the dementors appearing had nothing to do with you," said Petunia sarcastically.  
  
"An enemy sent them after me," Harry admitted. Dolores Umbridge, a teacher so evil Harry still got a knot in his stomach thinking about her. She hadn't been seen since the day Peeves drove her from Hogwarts.  
  
"One of YOUR enemies, like the wizard thugs who attacked us today. But if you knew there was danger why did you get close to him, so my boy got attacked by dementors sent after you?," asked Petunia.  
  
"Ummm, it just happened that way," said Harry.  
  
"I know why. You went out looking to pick a fight with him and then you threatened him with your wand. As far as I'm concerned, that's just like pointing a gun at him."  
  
"I wasn't really going to use it..." Harrry said.  
  
"No excuses. It was an assault with a deadly weapon," Petunia said. "I thought you were going to be expelled for that. Why weren't you?"  
  
"I got off..." said Harry.  
  
"Trust wizards to protect wizards when they hurt ordinary people," Pentunia interrupted. "You're nothing but a bully!"  
  
"I'M a bully? What about Dudley?" Harry asked angrily.  
  
"Dudders can play a little rough. He's high-spirited. But wizards are arrogant, drunk with power. Like your father. You think he was a great hero, don't you?" Petunia demanded.  
  
"Not exactly," Harry mumbled, thinking of Snape's memory.  
  
"One time I told him what I thought of him. I said that Lilly was too good for him. He threatened me with magic unless I stayed out of his way. Said he would turn my hair green, my nose into a pumpkin, and send spiders down my back. I suppose you think that's funny?"  
  
"No," said Harry, stifling a chuckle at the image of Aunt Petunia jumping around with green hair and a pumpkin nose.  
  
"It's not funny. Your father was an arrogant bully, and you're just like him."  
  
"I'm not," said Harry. But doubt churned inside him.  
  
"I took you in for the sake of your mother. Now I wish I'd never done it. You've dragged us into the middle of a wizard war. I can't kick you out now because that blood curse of yours is our only protection. But I wish I could! I wish I could!"  
  
She ran out of the room, crying.  
  
It was no use talking to Uncle Vernon, so Harry went back to his room.  
  
----------  
  
That night, Harry tried to clear his mind of feelings as he had been instructed by Snape. But there were just too many things going through his mind: rage, self-pity, fear, and guilt. It was hard to get to sleep at all, but when he finally did it was not for long.  
  
He was seated in an ornate chair, and a man was kneeling before him, extending his silver right hand in a Nazi-like salute.  
  
"You have been a faithful servant, Wormtail," he said, "Unlike those other incompetents who botched a simple carjacking." He was feeling cruelly amused. "I shall get at Potter through someone he..."  
  
Suddenly angry, he sensed an intrusion.  
  
"The brat is in my mind again! Mark my words, Potter. I'll get at you by killing another person you care about!"  
  
"Let me destroy the Weasleys, Master," offered Wormtail. "I want to avenge the years of indignities I suffered as their pet."  
  
"We'll see, Wormtail, we'll see..." and with an effort he used occlumency to close his mind to the intruder.  
  
Harry woke suddenly with a searing headache. 


	5. Safe House

Chapter 5 -- Safe House  
  
Harry ran downstairs and peeked out the front door. He waved urgently to whoever was guarding the house that night. Mundungus Fletcher came crashing out of the bushes and ran up panting.  
  
"Whassup, 'arry?" he asked.  
  
"I've had another vision, and all my friends are in danger! They want to get at me by killing the Weasleys and my other friends. You've got to tell Dumbledore," said Harry.  
  
"Y'know, the last time you believed one of them dreams..." said Mundungus.  
  
"I know, but there was one before that saved Mr. Weasley! We've got to treat it as real. Go tell Dumbledore, NOW!" said Harry.  
  
With another loud bangs that work up the neighbors, Mundungus apparated away. Half an hour later, more bangs signalled the arrival of the Order.  
  
"We've had to scramble, but we have a new safe house for you," said Tonks. She was sporting bright red shoulder-length hair and long, elf-like ears tonight.  
  
"We've worked out a way to get you there safely," said Lupin. "Now that the Ministry of Magic is fully cooperating we can use a portkey.  
  
"What about my friends? Ron, Hermione, and the others?" asked Harry.  
  
"Others of the Order are already moving them. Most of the Weasleys are already safe at the HQ," said Moody. "Fred and George are sleeping above their new shop on Diagon Alley, but someone will get them out as fast as possible."  
  
The Dursleys were predictably furious, but with a bit of arm-twisting they all touched the portkey. Harry followed, carrying Hedwig's cage.  
  
The new house was a multi-storied mansion. The address note, which they all had had to read before the portkey would work, said simply "The Amalgams, Surrey." Hermione, Ron, George, and Fred popped into the huge marble entry hall within minutes of their arrival.  
  
"It's one of the places that used to belong to Nicolas Flamel and his wife," said Lupin. "It's large, remote, and well-warded. Now the Fidelus charm has protected it, nobody can find it or get in unless they are told where it is by the Secret Keeper -- Dumbledore again, of course."  
  
"This is an outrage! How am I supposed to get to work at Grunnings from here?" said Uncle Vernon.  
  
"Leaving is not a good idea," said Moody. "You're not a blood relative, but all of Harry's friends and relatives are threatened."  
  
"I won't stand for this!" Uncle Vernon blustered, but he was cowed by the weird appearance of Mad Eye's revolving eye.  
  
"Mr. Dursley, there's a separate part of the house for you and your family so you won't be bothered by the rest of us," said Tonks.  
  
"Good, because we plan never to speak with any of you again!" cried Aunt Petunia.  
  
"I-it's OK if you or your friends come talk to me sometimes, Harry," pleaded Dudley.  
  
"Don't associate with that riff-raff, Dudders," said Aunt Petunia. "They'll contaminate your mind."  
  
The Dursleys dragged Dudley off to their part of the house. Hermione watched them go with sympathy in her eyes.  
  
"Poor guy, he looks scared," said Hermione.  
  
"That's my cousin Dudley, and he deserves it," said Harry.  
  
"Shall I offer him a nice piece of vanilla toffee?" asked George brightly.  
  
"What does it do, turn your nose blue?" asked Ron.  
  
"Green polka-dotted," said Fred.  
  
The Order met with Harry for a battle plan, and he told them his dream in detail.  
  
"There's no way we can be sure that wasn't meant to mislead," said Lupin. "Just like the dream that lured you to the Ministry."  
  
"I got the feeling there was something else he was hiding," said Harry. "But the first part seemed real enough."  
  
"You shouldn't be having these dreams any more at all. We've got to get Snape here to teach you more occlumency," said Moody. "No more shirking."  
  
"Not Snape! He blew it and then refused to teach me any more. It's his fault Sirrus died!" said Harry.  
  
"Face it, Harry. You had a responsibility to learn, and you didn't. Not only that, you didn't tell anyone you had stopped. So don't be too quick to assign blame to others," Mad-Eye retorted. "Snape will do his duty if ordered. So will you."  
  
Harry sulked, but agreed.  
  
It was first light when Mundungus Fletcher brought in a Daily Prophet.  
  
"Explosion at Joke Shop -- Diagon Alley Devastated," read the headline. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes had exploded overnight. The effects of the Dung Bombs and Portable Swamps had made a disaster area of everything for yards around. Lawsuits were pending.  
  
"We're ruined," said Fred. "But our business went out with a bang, didn't it? I wish I had been there to see it."  
  
"If you'd been there, you'd have died," said Ron.  
  
"It has to be on account of me," said Harry. "Sorry, Fred and George."  
  
"Look at this, Harry" said Ron. "There was another big explosion at the Quibbler last night."  
  
"Luna Lovegood!" Harry said. "Maybe we should bring her here, too."  
  
"We can't bring everybody you've ever met here, Harry" said Hermione.  
  
"Someone I know is going to die, and I can't protect them all," said Harry. 


	6. Second Chance

Chapter 6 -- Second Chance  
  
It was a lazy afternoon two months later. The safe house appeared to be working so far. Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom were also there now. Harry checked the Daily Prophet and other news sources daily, but there were no signs of other attacks.  
  
Harry was getting bored cooped up here. He and Hermione were playing pool in a large game room. Hermione was calculating all the angles and discussing all the shots in detail, which was extremely boring.  
  
Tonks came into the room smiling.  
  
"Come on guys, I have something to show you," said Tonks to Harry and Hermione. She led the way upstairs to the large attic room which had been soundproofed for dueling practice.  
  
"One nice thing about being a metamorphagus is that no one knows what I really look like. Would you like to see?" asked Tonks slyly.  
  
"Sure," said Harry.  
  
Tonks hunched over, hiding her face, and her whole body because short and squat. Suddenly she looked up, revealing the leering face of Dolores Umbridge!  
  
"Hem hem," she said.  
  
Harry jumped, then burst out laughing. "That's a good one, Tonks. You look just like her!"  
  
Hermione giggled. "Wow. You had us going for a second there."  
  
Tonks raised her wand: "Ligatos!" Suddenly ropes sprang from nowhere and bound Harry and Hermione together, arms pinned tightly to their sides.  
  
"Actually, I am Dolores Umbridge," she smirked, "And I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you."  
  
Too late, Harry realized that when Voldemort had said, "I shall get at Potter through someone he...", he had been about to say "someone he trusts."  
  
"You used polyjuice!" said Harry, "What have you done with the real Tonks?"  
  
"Nothing as simple as that feeble-minded Barty Crouch Jr. imposture. I am, and always have been Dolores Umbridge."  
  
"How can that be? You couldn't be running Hogwarts and working as an Auror in the Ministry of Magic at the same time," said Harry.  
  
"I could. There are some devices in the Ministry of Magic called..."  
  
"Time turners!" said Hermione.  
  
"Exactly, though you must have been snooping where you shouldn't have been to know about them," said Umbridge, with her usual sickly-sweet smile. "Several years ago I was able to get hold of one with a large adjustable time range. Since I was a secret metamorphagus, I decided to set up a second chance for myself in case of a serious career blunder. I found records of a young woman of an off-branch of the Black family. She had died in infancy, but since her branch of the family was disowned and most of her relatives were dead or in Azkaban it was an easy matter to create a new forged indentity in her name, Nymphadora Tonks. I really do hate that first name, you know."  
  
Not long after I finished the forged identity, Tonks actually appeared. I knew some time in the future I would make a terrible mistake, but I never dared to try to find out what it was. There would be time paradoxes with horrible consequences if I did. All I could do was cover for any problems that came up and push my new career along from the sidelines."  
  
Then the crash came. You two little monsters tricked me and I was humilated in front of everyone. My career was over and I was sure to be arrested when that small matter of the dementors was investigated. So I made my way to my hidden time turner and jumped back."  
  
It hasn't been easy starting over. I had to pretend to be younger than I was. I'm not as spry as a young girl, so I got a reputation for being clumsy. But with the help of my earlier self I succeeded in becoming an Auror."  
  
"How did you get into the Order?" asked Hermione.  
  
"By a stroke of luck, I picked a family that the fugitive Sirius Black happened to like. He hadn't followed their history closely of course, being in Azkaban, but he recommended me because he liked my 'mother'. I've been playing the rough-and-ready rebel, as far from my old personality as possible, and it appealed to those Order of the Phoenix traitors. It has put me in a perfect place for my revenge. I had to wait for it until now because I couldn't change anything I remembered."  
  
"You've never given any sign of how you really felt," said Harry.  
  
"I couldn't resist pretending to trip in the hallway. I wanted to hear Black's mother yelling at all of you, saying things I wished I could say. Another problem was that Kreacher refused to obey my orders. Sirius thought it was because my branch had been blotted off the tapestry, but the real reason is that I'm no relation to his family at all."  
  
But Bellatrix knew her sister's child had died young, and after she escaped, Wormtail approached me. I decided to throw in my lot with them and really get my revenge on Dumbledore and the whole pack of you. The Death Eaters blew up the Weasley's joke shop and the Quibbler at my special request. It was a long-overdue revenge."  
  
"But you fought them at the Ministry of Magic, didn't you?" said Hermione.  
  
"You may not have noticed, but I did practically nothing in that fight. I fired off a few spells that missed, then took a tumble as if I had been hit."  
  
"They all knew you were on their side?" asked Harry.  
  
"Yes, and I even helped them. When that red beam missed Sirius he taunted Bellatrix, knowing it would take a moment to set up another spell. From where I had fallen on the stairs, playing possum, I got in a shot -- the one that sent him through the Veil! I think he saw me at the last moment. That's why he looked so surprised. Heh heh."  
  
"YOU! You killed Sirius!" shouted Harry in a rage, tugging at the bonds.  
  
"I wanted him dead, because failing to force you to tell me his location was a big part of my humilation and defeat. And I knew it would hurt you; I really enjoy hurting you." She smiled wider than ever.  
  
"You monster!" cried Hermione, "You can't hurt Harry here. The blood charm protects him."  
  
"That's what you think, but you're very wrong," gloated Umbridge. "I've tricked the Dursleys into leaving the house. I told them what they were eager to believe, that they could get away from you and still be safe. The Death Eaters have them now. If they're not dead, they wish they were."  
  
"Nooo!" yelled Harry. He had hated the Dursleys, but he couldn't wish torture and death on them.  
  
"Once I kill you, I'll be richly rewarded by the Dark Lord. But I'd gladly do it for free. Good-bye, and AVEDRA KEDAVRA!"  
  
The green light of the spell flashed before Harry's eyes, and he knew it was all over. But the light rebounded from them, and hit Umbridge! She died instantly, without even time for a scream.  
  
"H-how can that be?" said Harry. "I have no blood relatives here. What protected us this time?"  
  
"I think I know," said Hermione. "I... I felt sorry for your cousin Dudley. He was so afraid, and he wanted to know about magic so much. I started visiting him in his room at night to teach him, and one thing led to another..."  
  
"You and DUDLEY? I can't believe it," said Harry. "But that still doesn't make you a blood relative."  
  
"I guess... I must be pregnant," said Hermione softly. 


	7. Consequences

Chapter 7 -- Consequences  
  
"Hermione," said Harry, "How could you be so dumb? DUDLEY?"  
  
"Everyone I cared about in Gryffindor treated me like a sister," said Hermione. "You and Ron treated me like a smart big sister who could help with homework. Dudley cared about me as a woman. He said I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever known."  
  
"You ought to know not to believe guys who talk that way. He didn't mean it," said Harry.  
  
"Thanks a lot," said Hermione sharply.  
  
"Didn't you use any protection?" asked Harry.  
  
"I'm not a complete idiot. I used an Anti-Conception Charm. I thought I had it right..." said Hermione.  
  
"I guess for once in your life you made a mistake. It saved our lives, but... Hermione, this is going to have huge consequences."  
  
"Consequences?" said Hermione. She hadn't thought that far ahead yet.  
  
"For starters, you'll probably be expelled," said Harry.  
  
Hermione gasped. "W-will they do that?"  
  
"Hogwarts is a strict school," said Harry.  
  
"But it's not fair! I've got my OWLs back and they're straight O's," said Hermione.  
  
"That doesn't matter. Remember Blaise Zabini last year? Everyone was talking about her," said Harry.  
  
Hermione gasped in a breath and began sobbing loudly.  
  
"Oh Hermione, come on. We've got to get out of these ropes. Try to reach my wand out of my pocket. Your hand's nearly there," said Harry.  
  
Still sobbing, Hermione stretched her fingertips to the end of the wand and shakily extracted it. She could barely keep her voice steady for an unbinding spell, but at last she managed to say it right and the ropes fell to the ground.  
  
"Come on! There may still be a chance to save the Dursleys!" said Harry as he rushed for the stairs. Hermione followed, putting her misery aside for the moment.  
  
Down the flights of stairs they rushed, heading to the mansion's front door. And there they found Dudley crumpled in a corner, shivering.  
  
"Dudley, what happened?" said Harry.  
  
"It was terrible," said Dudley. "This woman came to us, told us she was from the police, sent to rescue us from being kidnapped. We believed her that it was safe to get away. We went running out down the road, towards what we thought was a police car. I was behind them, holding back 'cause I wanted to go back for 'Mione, or at least tell her goodbye. It was a trap! People jumped out the the car and these green rays started flying and Mom and Dad were both hit. I ran like hell and just got back into the house. Mom and Dad didn't come back. I think they're d-dead."  
  
Harry went to the front window and looked out. In the middle of the street, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia lay unmoving. In the sky above them was a blazing emerald skull, the Dark Mark.  
  
He went back to Dudley. Hermione had her arm around his shoulder, trying to comfort him.  
  
"Dudley, this could be important. How long have you been back in the house?" asked Harry.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe ten minutes.... Why?" said Dudley.  
  
Harry looked into Hermione's tear-streaked face. "Better get tested. You may be all right after all."  
  
"My folks are dead, aren't they? Where are all your friends who were supposed to be protecting us?" demanded Dudley.  
  
"That's a good question," said Harry.  
  
The house was strangely silent. Where were the others? 


	8. Turner

Chapter 8 Turner  
  
Harry, Hermione, and Dudley called, but there was no answer.  
  
"Umbridge must have sent everyone out on a wild goose chase or into an ambush," said Hermione. "As Tonks, everybody trusted her."  
  
"An ambush! How can we warn them? We don't know where they are!" said Harry desperately.  
  
"We have to go back up to the attic and search her body for notes," said Hermione.  
  
"T-there's a body in the attic, too?" said Dudley.  
  
"If you'd rather wait alone down here..." said Harry.  
  
"No, don't leave me alone!" said Dudley.  
  
Dudley stayed in a far corner of the attic while Harry and Hermione patted down the still form of Mrs. Umbridge. There was no crinkling of papers, no sign of notes of any kind.  
  
Suddenly Hermione touched something that made her stiffen with shock of recognition. She drew up from around Mrs. Umbridge's neck an hourglass on a brass chain.  
  
"Harry, you know what this is?" she said.  
  
"A time-turner," said Harry.  
  
"This is a more advanced model than what I had," said Hermione.  
  
The device had a ring on the top with four settings. One was marked "Years", one "Months", one "Days" and one "Hours".  
  
"She wanted it handy to fix her next mistake. She couldn't use it again during the years she was doubling up, but she was past that point now," said Hermione.  
  
"But her mistake was something she couldn't fix," said Harry. "Instant death."  
  
"We can use this to warn the others, if we plan it right," said Hermione. She checked her watch. "It's 2:20 now. When was the last time you remember everyone being here in the house?"  
  
"Everyone was around the table at lunch, around 12:30," said Harry. "Then Remus and Mad-Eye went to their rooms. We could hide until they come back and give them a message."  
  
"Not Mr. Moody's room," said Hermione. "He has all sorts of traps and alarms in there. If we set them off, it would ruin everything."  
  
"OK, Remus's room then," agreed Harry. "There's a large walk-in closet we can hide in."  
  
They went back downstairs and into the closet in Remus Lupin's room. Hermione set the time-turner to hours, and flipped it twice. There was a sensation of flying backwards, and when their vision stabilized they were still in the closet.  
  
"Are we really back in the past?" asked Dudley.  
  
"Yes, two hours back," said Hermione.  
  
"How do you know so much about those things?" asked Dudley.  
  
"She used one to double up classes in her third year at Hogwarts," said Harry. And for one other mission you don't need to know about, he thought.  
  
"My folks are still alive! I can go and warn them!" said Dudley.  
  
"No, I'm sorry, Dudley," said Hermione. "Professor McGonagall warned me that you must never use a time turner to change something you know happened in the past."  
  
"Why not?" demanded Dudley.  
  
"Because it sets up a time paradox. If you saved them, then you couldn't be here now, knowing what you do. So you wouldn't save them. Then you would again. You'd end up in an endless loop on a side branch of time, and so would we," said Hermione.  
  
"I don't get it. You're making my head ache. I'm going to go out there and save them, and you can't stop me!" said Dudley.  
  
"Petrificus Totalis! Sorry, Dudley," said Hermione.  
  
Minutes later, Lupin entered the room. He was alone, so Harry and Hermione came out.  
  
"Remus, listen, you can't trust Tonks. She's working for Voldemort," said Harry.  
  
"How did you get in my closet? Is this a joke?" said Lupin.  
  
"Look at this time-turner. We got it from her in the future and came back to warn you. In a little while, she'll have some story to get almost everyone to leave the house. Then she'll go after the Dursleys, Harry and me," said Hermione.  
  
"You have to be careful. Pretend to believe her, and everyone go out, but not where she says to go. It'll be safe to come back at 2:30," said Harry.  
  
"I still don't understand..." said Remus.  
  
"Just do it, please, and we'll explain more later. I hear someone coming and it may be Tonks. We've got to hide," said Harry.  
  
They had just gotten back into to closet when there was a knock at the door.  
  
"Wotcher, Remus," came the voice of Tonks. Harry and Hermione couldn't hear it now without a shudder. "I just talked to one of my informants through the fireplace, and she says the Death Eaters are planning a mass murder at a crowded muggle theater this afternoon in Soho. I've got to stay here for more messages, but if the rest of you head out now you can take them by surprise."  
  
"OK, Tonks, I'm coming," said Remus without a hint of suspicion in his voice. He left the room.  
  
"OK, now we just sit tight," said Harry, "We've done all we can."  
  
"I'm not so sure about that," said Hermione. "They wouldn't take Ron, Luna, or Neville on a mission like that, would they?"  
  
"Probably not," Harry agreed.  
  
"That means she might be planning to kill them as soon as the other Order members are gone," said Hermione. "We wouldn't have heard if she was careful about it."  
  
"We don't know if that's true. We didn't search the house," said Harry.  
  
"It's a good thing we didn't or we might have found bodies," Hermione said. "We've got to risk warning them."  
  
"Where are they?" asked Harry.  
  
"The only one I'm sure of is Luna," said Hermione. "She went to read the latest Quibbler in the second-floor library. We're in the downstairs pool room, so we won't run into ourselves if we go upstairs."  
  
They managed to get to Luna without being seen. Luna was reading the Quibbler upside-down again.  
  
"Luna, would you believe that Tonks is really Umbridge in disguise? We came from the future to warn you," said Harry.  
  
"Of course I believe you, Harry," said Luna calmly.  
  
"You need to get out of the house until 2:30. Warn Ron and Neville, too. Use floo powder to get somewhere safe, but leave a note where Tonks can find it so she won't know you suspect her," said Harry.  
  
"Will do," said Luna.  
  
"I hope the others believe her," whispered Hermione as they walked downstairs again.  
  
They walked right across the path of Tonks.  
  
"I thought you were going down to play pool," Tonks said with a smile.  
  
"Oh, we are," said Hermione faintly.  
  
"Just stretching our legs after lunch before getting down to it," said Harry, keeping his voice steady.  
  
"All right, catch you later," said Tonks, heading away down the hall.  
  
As soon as she was out of sight they ran back to the closet to hide. At 2:15 they moved to hide behind the bed to let their counterparts use the closet. At 2:25, the time-turner spell expired and they were back in the closet again.  
  
Promptly at 2:30 there was a knock on the closet door. Moody, Lupin, Ron, Luna, and Neville were there.  
  
"Good work, you two. You saved the Order of the Phoenix from a traitor. Unfortunately, she was able to kill the Dursleys," said Moody.  
  
"Not all of them," said Hermione, stepping aside to reveal the frozen Dudley propped against the back wall of the closet. 


	9. Hogwarts

Chapter 9 Hogwarts  
  
It was time for school to begin. The subject came up of where Dudley was going to stay.  
  
"It's not safe for him to be here alone without Harry," said Hermione. "Even in the new safe house they might find a way to get at him again."  
  
"Don't worry," said Lupin. "I put in an application to the Ministry of Magic to have him tested. He has a tiny magic talent, enough for them to bend the rules and admit him to Hogwarts. He'll have to start as a first-year, of course."  
  
"Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would have been horrified, but that doesn't matter now, I guess" said Harry.  
  
There were rumors that Voldemort would attack and derail the Hogwarts Express if Harry was on it, so Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville, and Dudley traveled on a private Knight Bus that was temporarily deeded to Dudley so it would count as a "home". Hermione sat next to Dudley, to Ron and Harry's great displeasure.  
  
There was a concession booth on the bus, and Dudley goggled at the varieties of candy he had never seen before; he loved the Chocolate Frogs and the Every-Flavor Beans. (The latter he only loved until he got an "old tire" flavor).  
  
"Don't eat too much, Dudley," said Hermione. "You don't want to gain any more weight."  
  
"Are we still going together, 'Mione?" Dudley whispered to her.  
  
"Not like we were. I was so scared... I won't risk that again until after I graduate," whispered Hermione.  
  
Harry worried that Dudley would be sorted to Slytherin, but he ended up in Hufflepuff instead.  
  
Draco Malfoy also arrived at school by Knight Bus this time. He must have decided not to risk traveling in the train after being hexed so badly the last time. The first time they ran into him was in the hall after dinner. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson rushed up to Harry and Dudley.  
  
"I learned a new hex this summer just for you, Potter, to get back at you for getting my Dad arrested" Draco sneered.  
  
Harry thought, "I'm with a blood relative, in a place I call home."  
  
"I wouldn't if I were you, Malfoy," he said, making no move to defend himself.  
  
Draco shot out the spell, which promptly bounced back on him. He dropped to the floor with every bone in his body rubberized.  
  
"Crabbe, Goyle, get him!" called Draco weakly.  
  
As Crabbe and Goyle moved in, Dudley blocked their path.  
  
"You're not hurting my cousin," he said.  
  
"Outta our way, moron," said Goyle.  
  
It was two against one, but Crabbe and Goyle had never faced anyone as strong as they were who also knew boxing. Dudley promptly decked both of them.  
  
"I'll get you for that," said Pansy. She cast a hex at Dudley, which also bounced; she fell stunned.  
  
"I think I'm going to like it here," said Dudley to Harry.  
  
Harry wasn't sure he was going to like it as much as Dudley, but it wasn't so bad having a new bodyguard.  
  
Now all he had to worry about now was how he was going to defeat Voldemort. And that was plenty.  
  
THE END 


End file.
